COVID-19 Policies and Women in Informal Work in India - A REBUILD Scoping Report

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has wrought a global socio-economic crisis, with profound implications for the wellbeing of individuals, households and communities. It has further deepened existing social inequalities, heightened the risks for genderbased violence (GBV), and limited the access to health services, including sexual and reproductive health among marginalized groups. As countries move to mitigate the health threats of the COVID-19 pandemic, immediate policy action has often led to large economic and social costs that are majorly borne by vulnerable and low-income populations, among whom women are the most affected. So far, immediate, state-led policy responses focused on COVID-19 clinical management, quarantine guidelines, mobility restrictions and lockdowns, protective and promotive social safety, and economic stimulus packages.